K.C. Johnson's Bulls mailbag

The Tribune was going to publish this a day earlier but the editor in charge tore his plantar fascia and is on the shelf.

Just kidding. But what a Bulls season of injuries, huh? This isn't a great team by any stretch, but I certainly think it could've been a playoff team if it had stayed healthy. Now it's looking grim.

And your questions reflect that for the most part.

I wanted to know if the Bulls sign a max salary guy this summer and the league goes to a hard salary cap in the next collective bargaining agreement, how does that affect the Bulls' ability to sign DRose to a longterm deal when his current contract expires? Ronnie, Las Vegas

I want to acknowledge Jeff from West Chicago, who also sent in this astute question. This is my own speculation but I guarantee you the Bulls' front office has planned for every scenario in whatever shape the next CBA takes to be able to re-sign Rose and Noah. Also remember that the last time the league and players association created a new CBA, there were stipulations placed in it to allow for adjustments. Players were allowed to waive one bad salary off their books. I'd guess that in the rare chance a hard cap is instituted, teams will be able to "grandfather" in max salaries for their own players.

Last week I was the ghostwriter for Gar and this week I'm the apologist for Vinny. It seems to m e that letting Vinny go would be as much a failure of Jerry, Pax and Gar as it is of Vinny. Worse yet, it isn't logical. Vinny has done an excellent job with the team he was given and the injuries they have sustained. Sure he's learning in his gameday coaching, but who hired a coach that had never been a head coach? Vinny's gameday skills are rapidly improving and his player skills must be outstanding given the maturing of Rose, Noah and Gibson and the way veterans like Miller, Deng and Hinrich work hard in response to his leadership. I don't want to look back and say, wow, we let go of the next Phil Jackson. Tom, Dayton

Oh, Tom. You had me fired up until that last sentence. Take a deep breath. Please. It's going to be OK.

On a more serious note, you state a logical case for Vinny meeting and, in some instances, perhaps exceeding management's outlined expectations for him. Be upbeat. Develop young players. Live through growing pains. Unfortunately for Vinny, logic doesn't always exist in professional sports. And I also think you're giving Vinny a bit too much credit for veterans responding to his leadership. Management and coaches live though emotional roller coasters of wins and losses every season and judgments are made in the heat of competition. I think Vinny has grown as a coach. That won't be enough for him to keep his job.

How about this comparison: James Johnson reminds me of a very young Paul Pierce. Their body type is similar and they both have a point forward mentality. Just like Pierce, Johnson has the unusual combination of size, quickness, handles and soft touch that can make him a nightmare matchup. It will obviously take major strides for Johnson to ever use his tools to match the numbers Pierce has, but is this a possibility? Or just wishful thinking? Steve, Wheaton

I'm glad you couched the comparison in the fact Johnson has a long way to go to match Pierce's production. Pierce did, after all, average 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in his rookie season for the 1998-99 Celtics. Johnson had trouble getting on the floor. I've seen what everybody else has seen since he began starting for Deng--more flashes of athleticism and hints at potential. But I've also seen a lot of bad defense and turnovers. So let's hold off on that one.

Despite what you've written recently about Jerry Reinsdorf's loyalty to Gar Forman and John Paxson, would he reconsider if the Blazers are dumb enough to fire Kevin Pritchard for drafting Greg Oden? I'm not one of your anti-Paxson zealots, but Pritchard transformed the Jail Blazers into one of the most likeable and best young squads in the league. He is an elite general manager, possibly the best in the Association. Unless you have an employee named Sam Presti, Daryl Morey or (maybe) Donnie Walsh, you have to at least call an unemployed Pritchard for an interview, right? Please say right. Jason, Seattle

Wrong. First, look at Reinsdorf's hiring history. Jerry Krause was a White Sox scout and knew Reinsdorf. Kenny Williams and Paxson are former players in Jerry's organizations. He hasn't hired "outsiders." Second, how many championships has Pritchard won again? I'm not saying he hasn't done a decent job of building a young team but the Trail Blazers to me look very similar to the Bulls that Paxson first built when taking over for Krause. Those teams tend to peak early and are tough to keep together. Portland is going to be a 6-8 seed this season. Does that make Pritchard an "elite" GM? I don't see it.

What are the chances the Bulls re-sign Brad Miller at the veteran's minimum? I think he would be great off the bench to back up Noah and Bosh. Albert Pantoja, Bellflower

I love the optimism. There's definitely a chance, although with his years of service, Miller's veteran minimum isn't chump change and could be tough to add to the payroll if the Bulls sign a max guy. I do know Brad loves it here and definitely wants to play again next season. I'd love to see him back too as he remains easily one of the funniest guys in the league. But free agency will dictate how much the Bulls can spend on others.

Vinny has now coached over 150 regular-season games and you have yet to report on his hair-styling technique. Journalism is dying, my friend. JS, Urbana

Thanks for my story angle for the season finale. And thanks also for this week's best question. (I did once light-heartedly refer to how VDN once might've had a hair out of place to illustrate how discombobulated the Bulls were.)

Why do fans give Paxson so much heat? Since he took over, we've basically been in the postseason every year except one, which led to DRose. His drafting has been exceptional except for Tyrus. Yet if we drafted someone else, we probably wouldn't have gotten Rose. With the Bulls possibly becoming a top team next year, why doesn't Pax get more credit? Jonathan Jesper, Benton Harbor, Mich.

This has mostly comprised my argument when I've felt compelled to defend him from some hilariously misinformed questions. The Bulls missed the playoffs in Paxson's first season in 2003-04, although he had some big hits that season in clearing up some bad roster fits and hiring Scott Skiles. It looks like they will miss again this season. If they do, that's four postseason appearances in seven seasons and one series victory. And that's probably why he receives heat. Bulls fans are greedy and want to win championships, or at least appear to be on that path. Lucking into Rose was a step. This summer, to me, will define a lot of Paxson's legacy. If the Bulls are able to significantly improve their team, kudos to management. If not, more heat is justified.

Just wanted to send you a big thanks for getting our Steve Kerr question on whether he ever could bench press 250 pounds answered a couple months back. That was a really big moment for all my friends as we have been arguing about it for over 10 years. Ask K.C. . . . Where Dreams Come True. Double J, Chicago

Want to hear my dream now? Next season, we have a live Ask K.C. at a local watering hole.

Now that Michael Jordan is the majority owner of the Bobcats, do you envision top-tier free agents signing with them? Let's take the amount of salary-cap space out of the equation for now. Many of the current crop of players grew up watching and idolizing him. Will any of them give him a discounted signing rate? Besides playing for their idol, they will be attempting to win a first title for the Bobcats. Will Scheck, Morton

Let me give you a little hint about professional athletes: They don't do discounted rates. Plus, it's impossible to take out the amount of salary-cap space. The Bobcats won't be active this summer in free agency.

Oh, you cynical people, you. I love it. I have found it telling that management keeps bringing up the word "flexibility" regarding this summer. Clearly, it's preparing for not landing a big-name star and perhaps either adding two lower-level players or spending some of the money this summer and still having cap space for the Feb. 2011 trade deadline. That's not to say they won't get a big-name guy, just that they're preparing for other scenarios.

I hope the Bulls are not going to employ a strategy of targeting one free agent and then if he doesn't sign, move on to the next guy on their list. By the time we get to the next guy, he could have already agreed with another team or stayed where he was. Also, I don't think any elite player would sign with a team if he felt he was their second choice. If I were running the Bulls, I would have Pax outside LeBron's home, Gar outside DWade's home, VDN outside Bosh's home, Rose outside Joe Johnson's home, Noah outside Boozer's home and whoever that guy was that represented the Bulls at the lottery when we got the first pick outside Stoudemire's home. Rufus T. Firefly, Sherman Oaks, Calif.

Whoever that guy is named Steve Schanwald, the Bulls' longtime executive vice president of business operations. And if VDN is outside Bosh's home, he might get arrested for loitering since it's unlikely he'll be Bulls coach. But you raise an interesting scenario. This is the balancing act all teams must do for this summer's historic free-agent class. There are legendary stories about how the Bulls wasted time pursuing Tim Duncan and Grant Hill in 2000 before settling for Ron Mercer and Brad Miller. Tracy McGrady supposedly was promised to the Bulls before signing with Orlando. The Bulls recently had an all-day organizational meeting regarding free-agent strategy. They'll be prepared.

If you could take one player right now, who would it be: Thabo Sefolosha or Taj Gibson? Woody Hong, West Hartford, CT

I assume you mean for the Bulls as currently constructed. And I'd go with Taj. I recognize how well Thabo has played for OKC and his defense remains stellar. But a lot of success hinges on fit and he just never fit here. I see Taj as a solid NBA player for 10 seasons.

Beat writers on deadline do. BG was the most consistent stand-up guy of the past five Bulls teams. He would talk after any and every game and answer any and every question. But I digress. Of course you mean on the court. It's a fun topic to debate on whether or not the Bulls made the right decision keeping Hinrich over Gordon. It goes back to what I detailed above--fit. BG fit here and obviously doesn't so far in Detroit. But given that BG's departure has aided the development of Rose and Hinrich has contributed defensively this season, you'd have to say management made the right choice.

This is a quibbling second-guess, but I, too, would've tried something different defensively on Nash. Nash might've lit up Rose the way he lit up Pargo down the stretch. Heck, he might've done the same to Hinrich had Kirk not sprained his ankle. Nash is that good. But when a player has it rolling like that, I would've tried a different look.

Suns coach Alvin Gentry said "Hinrich is the best on-ball defender in the NBA at his position." If this is true, doesn't Kirk show Derrick tricks of the trade? Matt, Johnsburg

I think Rose has improved considerably in his on-the-ball defense this season. He still struggles with screen-and-roll, though, and also in help side defense. As mentioned ad nauseum previously, Derrick is too good an athlete with too much size and speed not to be a great defender. Maybe next season? He added an improved jumper this season, so it's time to add a defensive wrinkle next season.